I just had my band removed three weeks ago. My original RNY was in 2005. I do not recommend the band for the following reasons:

- Cost. They aren't covered by most insurance plans. Most of the places that sell these bands use predatory, sleazy loan companies to finance their procedures. You will end up paying 2-3 times the amount of the loan by the time you pay it off. I got screwed out of more than $20,000 - over and above the cost of the band.

- They don't work. I had three "fills" after experiencing no weight loss and no sensation of being able to eat less. I was told that my band contained the maximum amount of saline. When my band removal surgeon tried to remove the saline at my first visit, it contained no fluid. The band had a hole in it the whole time, and the saline was just leaking out whenever I got a fill.

- Nasty side effects. I had chronic pain in my side around the injection port under the skin, which felt like a bruise. The band commonly slides around, causing intermittent problems like acid reflux and regurgitation of food. I couldn't swallow a lot of weird things, like smoothies. For some reason I couldn't swallow anything for the first hour after getting up in the mornings. Often the band will erode into your esophagus over time, which causes life threatening complications. I also used to get painful upper belly cramps after eating certain foods, I haven't had any since the band was removed. I had to sleep sitting upright to prevent reflux and regurgitation at night.

I'm now trying to arrange to get a Duodenal Switch, which is really the best revision surgery for a RNY. It has the best long term weight loss and you lose the most weight. The drawback is that it's a complex procedure and not many surgeons perform it. I've read that some people get gastric sleeves, but they don't provide as much weight loss and they fail after a few years as the stomach grows back to its original size. There's no malabsorption to help you keep the weight off as there is with an RNY or DS. Also, it's a lot harder to "undo" a RNY for a gastric sleeve (they have to move the intestines back to where they were before the RNY), so it's often an open surgery.

I was recently converted from a gastric sleeve to an RNY due to GERD. I am below weight and at this time malnourished due to the GERD prior to surgery. Since surgery, I have little to no appetite. I'm taking in well over 60-80 ozs. of fluid a day, but struggle to get 60 grams of protein in. My blood pressure is low and my doctor is concerned because of my dizziness, weight loss and I'm also on blood thinners due to a stroke. Prior to surgery my blood pressure was always very normal. Has anyone else had problems with their blood pressure?

@Kay

That is great to go to someone highly recommended and people close to you referred you that 100%

So Im sure your very comfortable and never stop asking questions!

Good Luck!

In general, revision surgeries tend to result in slower weight loss, and it's not super common for folks to lose all their regain after.

Do you know if there's a mechanical issue with your current stomach configuration? Or was the failure to reach goal because of your behavior? If your tool is working just fine, you would probably want to go back to basics and use what you've got before undergoing another procedure.

My insurance has a strict exclusion for bariatric procedures. i appealed 3 times, and then took it to the state for the appeals. denied every time. I am in Missouri. My first surgery was on Medicaid in Illinois... I no longer qualify for Medicaid and no longer live in that state. And the picture is for WLS period... no matter how many surgeries you have had.. or so I was told.